OC FIREFIGHTERS BET BIG AND LOSE BIG IN IRVINE ELECTION

The state’s campaign finance watchdog confirmed that it has opened a formal investigation of Irvine Councilmember Tammy Kim’s fundraising and spending in her mayoral campaign.<br /> <br />The action by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) comes in response to a complaint filed three weeks ago by Irvine resident and City Council watcher Alan Meyerson. The FPPC conducted a 14-day review of the allegations and an investigation was launched.

Under the City’s campaign finance ordinance, candidates for City Council or Mayor can receive a maximum of $620 per person, business or organization for a given election. Yet, Kim accepted a $150,000 political contribution in June from the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, which represents firefighters of the OC Fire Authority. On October 9th, the firefighters union made an additional $143,281 political contribution to Kim in the form of an independent expenditure for TV ads supporting her mayoral campaign.<br /> <br />Meyerson’s central complaint involved Kim’s relationship with the firefighters union and its initial $150,000 political contribution to her campaign. Kim is the City’s paid representative on the OC Fire Authority Board of Directors, where she is responsible for ensuring that Irvine residents receive good service and value in exchange for our tax dollars.

Kim’s cosiness with the firefighters union came under fire at the City Council meeting back in August, when the Council took up a request by Mayor Farrah Khan to have City staff evaluate Irvine’s membership in the OC Fire Authority.

The City of Irvine is paying about $140 million annually to the OC Fire Authority but only receives about $60 million in services. During the August Council meeting, Khan noted that the City recently began withdrawing from the County library system to create its own City of Irvine Library Department, because of a similar funding imbalance.<br /> <br />The notion of Irvine possibly withdrawing from the OC Fire Authority and establishing its own City of Irvine Fire Department drew strong opposition from the firefighters’ union and Councilmember Kim spoke forcefully against the City’s withdrawal.

Some are calling for the OC Professional Firefighters Association to change internal leadership since this unprecedented spending was driven in large part by Chris Hamm, President of the Association.